


To Abandon Oneself

by GreatNut



Category: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Video Game)
Genre: Other, POV Antagonist, a bit bloody, villain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-13
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-03-02 18:38:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18816721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatNut/pseuds/GreatNut
Summary: To abandon oneself in a pointless search for power...how tragic, indeed. A side-story about Genichiro's quests for obtaining more power, following his defeat atop Ashina Castle.





	1. Shed Humanity

**"Ashi...ina..."**

Those were the last words that escaped Genichiro's dry and scarred lips, as the nameless Wolf drove his sword deep into his chest, then pulled it out in a quick semi-rough motion. The feel of  _his_  blade leaving his body felt vengeful and intoxiciting with sweet retribution- for the Shinobi of course, not him. He was never powerful enough himself to deserve such a thing...not without resorting to heretical and disgraceful manners of course.

The cold and torpid touch of dark death briefly engulfed him whole, right as the sound made by the Wolf's steps slowly faded away. He died. But that wasn't the end of him. No...not yet. Ashina still needed people like him...people like him, who would go to any length to protect her.

The profane power of the Rejuvenating Sediment rushed through his veins, forcing out a twitch. Dark and red, tasting of rotten insects and stagnated blood. That was what this type of ressurection was like for him. But he endured it. He let the devillish substance flow through and even out of him. His senses, slowly but surely, began to come back to him and he vaguely made out Emma's voice. Her gentle, shocked voice.

"Lord Genichiro...Is this...the Rejuvenating Waters?"

Yes stupid, he almost uttered. How did one of Ashina's best doctors currently employed had not notice the changes in his body? Maybe, Isshin had overestimated her a little.

Genichiro slowly rose up, swaying a little like a marionette with twisted strings. Like a puppet, forced to live once again. To live, for the sake of Ashina. He stomped one foot down forward, in order to keep a semblence of balance.

"Ashina, this land- is everything to me. For her sake..." his hand went to his face and covered it like a mask as he glared intenstely at Emma and Wolf, his eyes bloodshot with the Waters of Rejuvenation. "I would shed humanity itself."

His voice had cracked slightly, revealing what he truly was- a very desperate and pitiful grandchild.

"Ressurection." Wolf murmured, calm and steady like a master shinobi.

Genichiro stumbled somewhat clumsily towards the railing and gripped it with one charred hand. "Yes...indeed."

He looked over to the castle grounds, briefly staring at something from far away, then turning back to glance at Wolf and Emma one last time. The shinobi and the doctor. His nemesis and his old friend. Fitting pair, they were, he silently thought, prompting a small mocking smile to appear on his bruised face.

"So long..."

Lightning tore through the cloudy skies of Ashina and Genichiro threw himself off the Lookout, getting struck by a lightning. He vanished along with the storm.


	2. Chapter 2. Twisted Ambitions

Genichiro winced, as every step he took ached with pain. Especially the area of his chest, where his now decaying heart had been stabbed. The slightest of shifts of a muscle caused the Ashina Lord a great deal of pain. If his resolve was any less firmer, than he'd have certainly collapsed. But that'd mean he'd have to stoop down to the level of the failures currently surrounding him...and oh what an irony that would be. Like a nightmare coming true, to be compared to a walking failure...

"Un...acceptable!" Genichiro growled through tightly grith teeth. He had said his thoughts outloud - his voice ringing through the cold disgusting dungeon. Finally, his presence was noticed by more than just the walking piles of rotten flesh and bone. 

"Lord Genichiro!" Doujun's voice sounded worried and concerned. There was a noise, like a metal shoved away. Mere moments later, the sergant's figure came scurring towards his lord. "Lord Genichiro, I did not expect you to come so soon. The newest test is still not-Oh Buddha, what has-"

" _Don't you dare ask that question_." Genichiro said- no, more like- lashed out the order with mild venom in his voice. Even though he didn't want to sound like a sour loser, which was beginning to prove hard day by day, Genichiro wanted his sound defeat at the hands of a particular shinobi and the wite of a particular doctor to be the last thing on his mind. Preferably, at all. 

There was a pause from the sergant, who drew reluctant to even open his mouth. Often, Genichiro preferred him this way. Silent and doing his job like a loyal monster. And now was one of those moments. He was allowed to speak about whatever  _he_ wished to speak about _._

First though, he had to close the gaping wound. He wasn't worried about his well-being(even though he should very well be), when the Rejuvenating Waters could make wounds like these ignorable. The larva growing inside him would do its work, knit any gaps in his flesh together. 

No, the problem was keeping proper appearances in front of his foot soldiers. They were weaklings, canon fodder, but they were many and valueable. They'll start questioning and they'll start doubting, which may lead to the already considerable number of deserters increasing not ten but fifty folds. 

After he had Doujun wrap his torso in tattered half-torn bandages, the best he could find in this wet mini-hellhole, Genichiro sat down with crossed legs, as if imitating a meditative position. It was twisted imitation, as if -  _almost ironically_ \- presenting the path that Genichiro had taken for himself.

"There have been a couple of complications to our plans, Doujun."

The question in his sergant's gaze need not even be asked directly.

"The information contained in my late teacher's notes were indeed correct. There is no way for me to claim the power of the Dragon's blood, when there's already an outhbound. And I certainly don't have the means to kill said outhbound." his lips curled with the slightest hints of cool warped amusement, "Besides, I don't think the young lord will be persuaded, no matter how many offers or hours of torture he is faced with."

The surgent did not reply, though the emotions in his eyes spanned in-between put-off to disappointed. 

"These are...very troubling news indeed. The fate of this country is dependant on our plans. If we fail...Ashina burns."

The atmosphere seemed to darken just a little under Genichiro's red-eyed scowl. At the moment, he was torn between choking the surgent to near-death or smiling at him. Doujun was a misguided soul, a delusional monster. And because of this, he understood Genichiro and he sympathized with his ideals. And maybe that's why theirs was such a friendly relationship. Like seeking like.

A sigh escaped Genichiro's chapped lips. He brought his bow out and for a moment, Doujun feared his life's work might never be finished because of an arrow fired in a blind fit of anger by his own lord. But no, it was just used as a tool of distraction or mental sharpening.

"The outhbound. And young lord's blood. There is no way to get rid of one and extract the other to use to my advantege...at least with what we are currently armed with. However, in several of Lord Takeru's notes, a cursed blade of unimagined  _ungodly_ power capable of undoing any thing living.  _Even_  immortals." 

Doujun gasped, startled realization dawning upon his face, even if it remained mostly obscured to the naked eye. 

"The Mortal Blade. I thought it only a myth. An old tale passed from the priests of Senpou Temple."

"Clearly it isn't, if it was of such importance. The information, vague as it is given, confirms my thesis." as if purposely, Genichiro made a suspensful pause, before looking up at his surgent, his eyes shinning with warped determination, "The Mortal Blade  _is_  the only weapon capable of slaying immortal beings. Even those blessed with the Dragon's blood. Only when I wield it, will our goals become reality."

The statement - the  _promise_ within it - carried a weight of ambitions so dark, it was as if the dungeon was visibly darkening. Or maybe that was the effect of the united chorus of sinister moans the monsters lurking within it let out. 

 


	3. Chapter 3. Mortal Blade Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The High Priest disapproves of Genichiro, yet grudgingly supports him.

##  **さん**

Little children were annoying and never did what they were told. They deserved to be stabbed once a day. Wolves were pests that will bark and bite at you relentlessly. They deserved to be maimed. And monkeys...monkeys were just the worse. Especially the type that wore kimonos.

"Nnaaagh...!"

As he fell down into the misty void below, Genichiro screamed and wondered if there's a cruelty more vile than Doujun's expirements and how satisfying it'd be to inflict it on those Buddha-damned monkeys! His dark fantasies could only last so long, before the darkness of passing out swallowed him whole. How had it come to this? Well...                    

* * *

 

If he still had eyes, the High Priest of Senpou Temple would have opened them wide at the sound of intrusive steps. Each one echoed. Each one carried more ominousity then the previous. Each one making the shadows in the Main Hall grow bigger and bigger. 

"Mmmm..."

The founder of the temple thinned his lips, trapping a disgusting insect or two that crawled in and out like the little divine children before they had been experimented on.

The priest's senses had long left him, though the sense of morality had vaguely returned, just enough to torment his soul before it too passed on. Instead, the priest rellied on reading other's aura, the flow and the  _feeling_ of their ki. The raw emotions exuded by the individual. 

His brows twitched. Such anger, subtle as it may be. Such lust and envy and pride. It isn't hard to guess, the priest thought with melancholy, that this person too is obsessed with immortality, much like me and the rest of this lot here. Although, there was a slimmer of... _something_ that was akin to nobility, dim as it was. Which meant...

"Ah, Lord Genichiro..." the priest croaked out, forcing his decaying vocal cords to function. He barely succeded, very close to sounding unintelligent. "It's been quite a while since you have visited my temple. I've had some interesting guests..."

"So did I, but unfortunately, they came in uninvited and we had to resolve things...in a harsh manner."

With most of his already diminishing strength, the High Priest turned his stomach-turning gaze towards Genichiro's handsome one and forced the rotten muscle tissue in his jaw to curl his lips into a slight smile.

"Is it safe for me to believe that you were defeated in an especially humiliating manner, so you have come here to seek more power?"

A snorting sound came.

"I care nothing for your beliefs. They're already twisted and corrupted."

"You are one to call me on that..." the priest retorted, definetely  _not_ trying to humor the young boy. 

A mildly tense silence lingered in the already polluted air, until it was broken by Genichiro's grumble. 

"I haven't come here for worthless chit-chat, High Priest. You know what I'm after."

"To take more sips of the 'sacred waters of rejuvenation' and further plunge yourself into madness?"

The priest could literally feel the struggle it took for Genichiro to restrain himself from doing anything reckless and childish.

"The Mortal Blade...It's held up here. And you're the one who knows  _where_ it is."

The high priest's gaze darkened a little and his tone tilted to a more serious manner.

"...Why should I tell you of all people?"

He heard the rough step that Genichiro took forward.

"Because if you do not, Ashina will burn and countless will die."

"Countless already are dying under your command,  _Lord Genichiro_." he used the title as if it was something to be found belittling or even looked down upon. He could hear Genichiro sucking in a hard breath, trying to hold onto what remained of his patience. 

This was ridiculous. The stories he heard. It was almost as if the young man was leading a contest with him and his peers on who will commit more atrocities. And he thinks he can become Ashina's savior through such vile means? Laughable!

"The way you are now, will only lead you to tragedy and pitiful death..." he shook his head, "but, have it your way if you so wish to. I know my words cannot reach you. Perhaps someday you will see things the proper way on your own accord."

...

"So...about the Mortal Blade..." Genichiro started, a bit taken aback.

"Ah yes...Do you see that bell over there?" the priest said, pointing at the item in front of him with a shaky hand that had two small centipedes wrapped tightly around it, "You can reach the  Inner Sanctum by ringing the bell."

"That's where the blade is held?"

The priest made a tense pause before entering, obviously being reluctant on how much information he should share with the man next to him. 

"...Yes"

"Very well then..." Genichrio nodded once to the priest and reached for the bell. He stared at it's peculiar design for a split second, before focusing on his task once again. He rang it. He didn't close his eyes or put one hand in a silent prayer. He was totally undignified as the bell transpored him to the Illusive Hall.

The priest 'watched' and noted all the details.

 _He reminds me of my younger self_ , he thought though with saddened amusement,  _which is why it's a huge shame. He could have lived a peaceful meaningful life._

 


	4. Chapter 4. Spider's Lair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wait...White webs...A web surrounding him...He was in a web...Dark wide cave...
> 
> Finally the light bulb that was Genichiro's brain switched on and mild panic and confusion immediately swept in like a tornado...

"U-Uugh..."

Genichiro's vision was milked with haziness. He could hardly distinguish anything from well...everything as it was a total mess of blur. Though regardless of his dazed senses, Genichiro could somehow  _sense_ (a power shared amongst many many POV characters) that he had fallen into a very dangerous place. A place of death. A place inducing horror and frigid agitation, much unlike the sanctum that layed far above. A spider's lair.

Genichiro's vision finally cleared, allowing him to view his surroundings and- oh would you look at that- thick webs wrapped around him, trapping him in their velvet embrace. His brows furrowed and his breathing steadied. His mind was still dazed, his thoughts - still a misty fog and he could not find any strength in his limbs. 

He noted after a minute of hazy inspection that he was inside some kind of wide cave. Beyond that, he couldn't say much about his surroundings. It was so dark he could barely make out the shapes of the walls. The ghostly white spots in the shadows managed to provide enough reflected light for that.

Wait...White webs...A web surrounding him...He was in a web...Dark wide cave...

Finally the light bulb that was Genichiro's brain switched on and mild panic and confusion immediately swept in like a tornado. Spider webs were supposed to be no bigger than a man's head right? Yes, yes they were. Which meant he had fallen into the lair of something very unorthodox and likely very deadly. Which meant... _that he should probably flee when still had the chance_. 

"Ngh, come on...hah..."

Genichiro could almost give the impression that he was extremely calm in this unnerving situation while he was wriggling one of his hands free. He tore parts of the web with throaty grunts and slight winces. It almost seemed like this was a mere minor inconviniance to him. Being the leader of rapidly decaying clan and all, carved his expression into a near-constant stony gaze. 

But when one looked at the details of his facial features, they would know...Genichiro  _was_ panicked _._ Not quite on the verge of hysteria, just filled with ever-increasing dread and trepidation for what's to come if he didn't free himself in time. Sweat started pouring down his face and torso at the effort of tearing down the web. The occasional twitch of the eyes which he could not control. The shaky breaths that he let out. Those were all subtle but clear signs of the fright brimming inside him. 

Great, he thought, disaster by disaster. First the wolf forced him to abandon  _his own stronghold,_ then those damned monkeys led him to fall of the Illusive Hall and now a spider was probably planning to make him one of its meals. The Ashina Heir was reaaally starting to consider the notion that the fauna of Japan detested him. Was it him using animals as weapons and changing them into unrecognizable abominations for his own ends what triggered mother-nature? Well if so, he had one thing to say about that: 'That's totally unfair!'

The drive of his mental monologue and the emotions it exuded helped in freeing his left arm. With a sigh of relief and satisfaction, Genichiro shook it once to get the muscle tissue to work properly and started directing it towards the hilt of his blade. 

For the time in quite a while, it seemed luck was on his side. Whatever monstrousity had captured him, clearly wasn't any more intelligent than your average spider as it had left him with his weapon. He could even feel the bowstring brushing against his back, now that his senses had fully returned. 

When his fingers wrapped solidly around the handle, Genichiro swung with all his might and the next second he fell down to the ground with a thud. A swift and clear cut in all directions. The web had been cleaved in half masterfully. His grandfather would've been proud. 

Unfortunately, those moments of silent satisfaction and slight pride left Genichiro as a vile cackle echoed throughout the cave. Genichiro jolted up. A strange sound, like the crawling of many legs, hastily approaching him. Genichiro drew his bow in reponse.

" _Leaving so soon? Just as I was about to make my introduction when you were awake? How ill-mannered. I expected more of someone with the attire of a lord._ "

Genichiro's eyes narrowed. Was that a female voice? And it sounded surprisingly smooth and elegant for...whatever was crawling in the darkness. He guessed his captor was some kind of shapeshifting demonic spirit. 

"Do you tie all your guests in thick webs, clearly intending to feast on them or is that just to scare them into hospitality?" 

" _A bit of both, honestly. I'm emberassed to admit, but..._ " 

Genichiro dashed to the side on pure instinct. The web was fired in such high speeds it was almost akin to a bullet. Only if bullets where blurs of white. An unnerved scoff appeared on his face, further deepining when a girlish giggle reached his ears.

" _Terror suits you men soo perfectly!_ "

Genichiro muffled an annoyed grunt.

"And I'm  not emberassed to admit that death suits  _you_  perfectly." 

His attack came just as unexpected as the monster's. A wave of arrows struck the stone walls and pillars and Genichiro silently prayed that he had hit his target. His eye twitched as he felt something  _large_ , clearly inhuman, move swiftly through the darkness. 

"Tch..."

" _Fu fu fu...Good, good~. I like it when they struggle._ " the purred menacingly, amusement and subtle threat clear in her voice. " _Makes devouring you all the sweeter._ "

Once again, he was sweating. Once again, he looked awfully calm and confident on the outside and once again, he was actually quite frightened. So what did he do in such a disadvantageous situation?

"Facing me would only put an end to your days of feasting."

He tried to put on a front. Such was the genuis of a prideful leader of a clan. And for a moment, his words seemed to have the wanted effect. A silence befall the cave, as if the monster had flet. Just as Genichiro was sighing his sigh of relief, the monster boomed with laughter. Eight eyes glowing with malicious intent appeared as if from thin air and Genichiro felt his face pale a little. 

" _Ha ha ha ha ha! You say such bold words in the face of your imminent death..._ "

Genichiro didn't know what hit him until he was slammed against a nearby pillar. He didn't even have time to breathe, to think or to even blink. He felt a sharp stinging pain in his mid-section. Hairy fangs that were way bigger than had any right to be had pierced him on his sides, holding him tightly in place. 

He saw the body connecting to those eight malicious eyes. There was no doubt about it anymore. It was a spider alright. A spider the size of two blazing bulls. Which made all of its disgusting details awfully clear to the naked eye.

Then he felt something cold and soft touch grasp his chin and when it forced him to look up, Genichiro's perception of things got more convulated ten folds. It was like he was looking at two completely different beings, who had been forcefully merged together. 

Looking downwards, all one would see was the horrifying hairy insectoid. Looking upwards, one would see a woman of otherwordly beauty and serenity. Her pale skin contrasted with everything around her, adding more to her otherwordly appearance. Of course, the image was all but ruined by her menacing red eyes and her wicked smile. Appearances were indeed decieving.

 "I wonder if you could back them up." she said, finally finishing her sentence. 

Looking at the beastial beauty(wtf, Gen?) in front of him, realization finally dawned on his face. The monster he had the displeasure of confronting was...

_The Jorogumo._

 


	5. Chapter 5. Genichiro vs Jorogumo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A failure, but a determined one.

The Jorogumo were considered one of the most dangerous creatures lurking in the deep caves of Japan. Even without the needed knowledge needed to comprehand just how truly horrid these monsters were, the young head of the Ashina clan could still feel intimidated sheerly by it's appearance.

The upper and smaller half of its body was an alluring nymph, probably the form it took when going outside its lair to trick and seduce naive youngsters. But Genichiro was not so naive as to succumb to the charm of her sweet voice and angelic human form. And besides, the beast was kind(stupid) enough to show it's true facade. He could use that to his advantege.

Now, let me remind you once again - Genichiro Ashina knew next to nothing about the Jorogumo, other than it's name or the fact that it was a gigantous spider-woman. So it came as a huge surprise when, after slicing the spider head's fangs and falling free to the ground, he was paralyzed for a brief moment. Thankfully, the Jorogumo had also been staggered slightly, screaming more in rage than in pain.

"Damn you, you brute! I just finished polishing them!"

Avoiding the venom her spider-head spat at him proved more difficult than it should be. The first four three shots were easily dodged, but a sudden exhaustion hit him mid-sprint and he barely slipped unscathed. He would've been covered in the toxic substance had he not jumped behind a nearby stalagmite. The rock hissed behind him as it was bombarded with ounces of venom.

Letting a breath that he had been holding, Genichiro looked down at his wound and immediately saw the reason for the draining sensation occupying his muscles. His blood was tainted, even more so than before. It had dark green spots, indicating that poison was now running through his system.

_Dammit, her fangs can induce poisonous substances, too?!_

The Rejuvenating Waters rendered wounds, minor or fatal, internal or external, ignorable as it the muscles could be stitched back together by the centipede. However, that didn't meant he was completely invulnarable to some of the effects. It only made it painless and non-fatal. But it didn't even need to be. If he was lucky enough, he could wound it hard enough so it could die of bleeding before he was torn to shreds. It was still a gigantic spider and it was much faster than he in some aspects.

The Jorogumo was a cruel thing, cunning and cold-hearted. It didn't fight fairly nor did it fight with pure instinct or raw emotion. It attacked cowardly from the shadows, it spat venom and shot webs from afar and every little limb of its body could induce a paralyzing poison. In a sense, it was like him and a certain damnable shinobi.

The vile irony of that stung his heart and with just a slight doubt, he charged back into battle. Thankfully, that seemed like the right move, as the Jorogumo crashed right into the stalagmite. Pieces of rock flew everywhere, blinding the monster for a brief moment, giving Genichiro enough time to put the needed space between them and fire a few shots.

The arrows proved inefficent, but Genichiro had sort of expected that. The moment the arrows flew through cold air, Genichiro lunged into a straight thrusting attack. His blade burrowed itself twice as deep as the arrows into the spider's rear. The Jorogumo screamed in pain and trashed, knocking him off her spider body.

"You fiend! You tactless brute! Attacking a lady from behind!" the Jorogumo yelped at him. waving her hands in the air in a fit of rage that could be considered almost 'girly'. Genichiro half-grinned half-scowled at her in a snide manner.

"Thinking of  _you_ as a lady is one of the hardest things you could ask me to do. It's even harder than this fight."

" _Petty insect! Die!_ " she roared, commanding her spider head to  _quite literally_ spill out a wave of venom that washed through the cave floor. Genichiro's eyes narrowed and with all his strength, he jumped up. He waved his hand and luckily for him, there was a stalactite which he could hold onto.

"'Petty insect'? That's ironic coming from the spider that's throwing a tantrum." Genichiro remarked, with the same snide as before, despite the sweat pouring down his forehead. "Flooding the floor with venom won't change anything. You'd be dead regardless of my position in space."

Jorogumo's reaction was quite different from what he expected. Instead of a roar of rage and hatred she laughed.  _Mockingly._ Like an adult would brush off the threat of a little child.

"You truly have ugly words to match your ugly appearance. But I must ask you again:" a vile form of glee shimmered in her red eyes, "I wonder if you could back them up?"

And then Genichiro realized she was not looking exactly at his face, but at his hand and when he looked, too, slight dread dawned upon his face.

'Oh...I forgot this was her lair...and she's a spider...'

Truly, it was stupid of him to not expect the ceiling to be wrapped all in thick web. The questionable physics of his hold on the stalactite were explained through the fact that his hand was tangled in those webs now.

The Jorogumo hadn't just been lashing out in petulant anger earlier. In one swift move, this monster whom he had assumed lacked tactical thinking, had gotten him right where she wanted him to be. If it weren't for the situation, Genichiro would've found such a ruthless ploy almost admireable.

'I may have underestimated this creature a little...'

And that struck him hard, because there was nothing he could.

The attack came hard and fast, and nerve-wrecking. All he saw was the form of the Jorogumo jumping up in speeds that shouldn't be possible for a creature her size before he saw a blur and then his body hit the floor with enough force to crack it and send a giant ripple across the venomous dark green pool.

Genichiro's skin hissed, as the disgusting dark liquid burned his skin, corroding it slowly. A web descended upon him, tangling around his leg once again like moments ago and the world was turned on its head - or rather, Genichiro was.

When his vision cleared, he was facing the human face of the Jorogumo, upside down. That face, so pretty and kissable even from this angle. Even when it was half-ruined by the malicious intent she hid behind her facade.

"I guess the answer was no all along." the Jorogumo said, relishing in a smug grin before she repositioned her body so that her spider-head and it's eight eyes were on the level of Genichiro' torso. Genichiro stared dazed at the eight menacing eyes, but he felt no fear. Genichiro saw it's terrifying maw open wide and close in on him, but again... _he felt no fear_.

...

Just massive disappointment in himself.

Bones snapped, blood spilled down like a fountain and nerves became wrecked with pain as the mosntrocity began to devour his mid-section. The Jorogumo moaned in delight, while all Genichiro could think was:

To be unable to crush a pathetic insect such as this. To be unable to beat a coward and a woman on top of that. To meet such an unsightly and pitiful fate and most importantly- to be unable to anything about Ashina, once again. Grandfather would laugh at him, no doubt.

_He was a failure through and through._

...

Yet...

Despite being a failure, he had endured so much, gone through hell and back several times, thrown so many lives into Yomi...just to die like this?

Yes, a failure he may be, but Ashina was something he  _could not_  fail. He would be torn to thousand bloody pieces before he gave up, just because he was unable to do anything! And then without any particular plan, having no idea whatso-over, Genichiro turned to desperation, or more literally – to the centipede inside him. The immortal centipedes which infested the Rejuvenating Waters, once having obtained a suitable host, were not meant to awake until their host's body simply gave out, either from the excessive stagnation or an impairing decapitation, in which case the centipede would've already grown enough to puppeteer it's host's body. However, Genichiro was still in early states of stagnation and he was desperate, so a crazy idea- no, more like an  _instinct_ urged  _him_  to take control of the centipede. And while it seemed like nothing would happen other than him being fully devoured, but then Genichiro felt a twitch from within him...

Oblivious to the inner endeavors of the man she was now feasting on, the Jorogumo almost cringed inwardly when a nauseating feeling burnt in her stomach(s). She had been relishing in her victory and enjoying the man's flesh as a reward for her efforts, but just now when she snapped back to reality, did she realize how disgusting said flesh actually tasted. Ok, it wasn't as bad as eating an ill old man, there was still freshness and some sweetness to it. The needed nutrients were there. But she could clearly see that something was tainting the man's body. It couldn't have been the burn marks, since she had no trouble eating half-burned men before. So what could this man have done to himself to make the flavor of his flesh, while not completely horrid, so  _unpreferable._

Now don't get 'Gumo-chan' wrong. This wasn't worry about the man himself, but rather her own health and that of her little ones. She was a monster, but she still needed to keep a proper diet if she wanted to live long and have many generations of little spiders.

The Jorogumo was pondering deeply about these things, distracted from the man himself, thus leading to her neck being bitten by a centipede that had seemingly come  _out of nowhere_.

"W-What?!" she cried out in pained surprise. The fangs of the centipede, just as poisonous as her own, sunk even deeper, making her scream. "AAAAAH!"

Her panicked gaze randomly travelled downwards, leading with Genichiro's glaring one. Half of his midriff, several ribs and guts, parts of his lungs and a lot of muscle tissue was missing, yet his face showed no signs of unbearable anguish, something which the Jorogumo failed to copy even though she was injured far less. From inside the glaring red hole in his body, the centipede's body twisted out like...well, a centipede.

Genichiro grunted and that was seemingly meant as a command as the centipede squirmed and tore a sizeable piece of flesh from her neck. And then it bit again, this time at her collarbone. And it tore some of the flesh. And process repeated. And the Jorogumo continuously screamed.

"Aaaaaaaah...!! W-What even...are you...?!!"

There was no way he was human. No human could stand being devoured with a stony expression. No human could have a  _freaking giant centipede_ spurring out of their bodies. He had to be some sort of spirit.  _He had to be!_

"I'm just a failure of a man who will go through any lengths to protect his land..." was Genichiro's answer. No cocky smirk or hateful glare. Just plain determination at getting out of this in one piece.

 

 

 


End file.
